If phone sex created a billion-dollar industry, just think what economic benefits seeing a live nude girl could produce? That was the idea behind WebcamCash, which Barry Fruitman formed six years ago.
"At that time, phone sex was still a billion-dollar business, and it seemed to me that private webcam sessions were the logical evolution of that form of adult entertainment, which has proved true today," Fruitman said. "After all, if they were willing to pay $4.99 per minute just to speak with a girl, how much would they be willing to pay to watch her?"
Fruitman’s initial idea to enter the adult entertainment realm came from television.
"I saw a show on ‘Dateline NBC’ about the couple that operated Wetland, and they seemed pretty normal," Fruitman said. "So, I thought, ‘why not [my wife, Hazel,] and I?’"
Initially, the idea wasn’t too appealing, according to Fruitman’s wife. "I have to admit that when he first brought up the subject of starting a porn company seven years ago, I almost slapped his face. But, when he showed me the profit potential, I was convinced," Hazel said.
A five-year background working as a C++ programmer also assisted Fruitman in making the decision. On Valentine’s Day in 2000, WebcamCash was formed. The company was the umbrella program for Spread4U free live feeds, Stroke4U, and other webcam sites like CamClub, along with more than 15 other niche sites that since have launched. WebcamCash’s primary business model is pay-per-view adult webcams, which today are proving Fruitman’s foresight. "We got in early, because I saw a long time ago that webcams would become a very important part of the future of adult content on the Internet." Fruitman said.
The ability to think ahead of the curve is what made WebcamCash a company that stays contemporary with technology. However, with the concept set, getting the company up to speed wasn’t so easy. "Most people we know in our industry started off with TGPs or working for someone else, but we made the decision to start with a full-blown affiliate program," Fruitman said. "Trying that today would be suicide, unless you get lucky or have a lot of money to blow."
One of the problems the company encountered was locating models. "Our members demand the very best, and in the early days, it was hard to find quality cam girls," Fruitman reflected. "The first year was rough, but we hit our stride in the second year and experienced our first explosive growth spurt." WebcamCash’s employees are the reason for that achievement, Fruitman added. "I can honestly say that I owe a great deal of our success to the people that make up the WebcamCash team," he explained. "We work hard to produce the best product for our members and the best affiliate support in the industry."
Today, WebcamCash operates one of the largest webcam networks on the Internet, with more than 3,000 active models and 150 cam girls online at any given time. The number of administrative and technical employees has grown to more than 20 people who handle the company’s affiliate and business relationships, of which there are many.
"An easier question to answer would be ‘Who have we not partnered with?’" Fruitman said. "We’ve partnered with some of the biggest names in our industry, including Adult.com, SexSearch, SilverCash, and Platinum Bucks, because we are a provider of free, live content."
Live one-on-one webcams are used as an up-sell by affiliates for additional revenue, a fact that has driven WebcamCash’s business. "Webcam programs are unique in that we are able to tap into those high-converting, pre-qualified traffic streams," Fruitman said. "That is what drove our growth early on. Lately, we have been investing in a lot of pay-per-click traffic because of the value it has when managed properly—not to mention the incredible volume."
In addition to diversifying traffic streams, the company also has expanded its consumer experience through technological upgrades. Recently, WebcamCash re-launched its webcam platform on Flash, with more features and better video quality. "Our members love it and our affiliates have seen the difference in their monthly checks," Fruitman said.
More innovations are coming this year, according to Fruitman, and "2007 is going to be the best year ever for WebcamCash. We recently moved into expanded offices and increased the size of our sales force and marketing department.
"Our plans this year include the development of even more niche webcam sites for our affiliates to promote," he continued. "As well, we plan to double the number of chat hosts we have online at any particular time."
What started as inspiration from watching a television program has blossomed into a multimillion dollar and rapidly expanding business that was ahead of its time, and Fruitman’s just getting started.
